Weigh in on wolf plan
Lovers of all things wild have the opportunity Saturday to be heard on the subject of wolves. Loathed by settlers who moved west, the Mexican gray wolf and other wolf species were hunted to the point of extinction. Even against opposition, though, a concerted effort has been made across the United States, including in New Mexico, to ensure the survival of this fabled creature.
After decades of delay, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials have put together a recovery plan for endangered wolves of the Southwest and northern Mexico — that’s the document on which members of the public are being invited to comment. The meeting begins at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Crowne Plaza in Albuquerque; if you want your comments in the record, submit them in writing. This is an opportunity to tell federal officials how to improve the draft.
Important in going forward is understanding that wolves need both genetic diversity and a wide area in which to roam if they are going to survive as a healthy species — the key word being “healthy.” The draft plan, unfortunately, limits wolves to south of Interstate 40 in New Mexico and Arizona, as well as the population over the border in Mexico. It does not provide for large enough numbers of wolves, either.
Considering wolves once roamed in Northern New Mexico and states north, that is too limited a range, especially if a border wall is built and stops the wolves from moving between countries.
Establishing wolf populations in the Grand Canyon and in Northern New Mexico and southern Colorado would ensure a more robust recovery.
Wolves must to be able to wander to increase their chances of diversifying their genetic material. As predators, they are needed in the ecosystem so that nature can remain in balance.
When it comes to numbers, this recovery plan is not ambitious enough. Scientists believe that the population in the wild needs to be about 750, while the Fish and Wildlife plan argues that about 320 wolves, able to survive in the wild for several years, would be an adequate number. The plan allows for 170 wolves in Mexico. Should those numbers be sustained, they would be enough for the species to be considered recovered, according to Fish and Wildlife.
Still, should those number be reached, that would be about three times the number of wolves currently in New Mexico and Arizona. That’s progress, but hardly enough to bring the wolf population back in robust fashion.
The plan leaves too much control in the timing and locations of wolf releases to state officials — and that’s not good enough, considering how many roadblocks both Arizona and New Mexico have placed in the way of wolf recovery over the years. Recovery goals based on science, with less wiggle room at the local level, are necessary. The recovery plan needs a way to ensure compliance with whatever plan emerges, in other words.
Re-establishing the wolf in the West is controversial, of course. The opinions of ranchers and other rural residents concerned about wolves attacking livestock need to be heard as part of the process. Judging from reactions at a recent Arizona hearing, those groups don’t like this plan much, either. On Saturday, all sides can speak up so that a stronger recovery plan emerges. To comment: www.regulations.gov and enter FWSR2-ES-2017-0036. Hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand delivery to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R2-ES-2017-0036, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA. 22041-3803.